Eighty-two percent of Wyoming voters believe elected officials in Washington D.C. do not reflect their values, a poll released Thursday says.

When it comes to elected officials in the state itself, 59 percent of respondents said local officials generally reflect voters’ beliefs.

The 2018 Conservation in the West Poll randomly quizzed 400 Wyoming voters, 67 percent of whom were registered Republicans. The survey had a 4.9 percent error margin, was conducted for the eighth year in a row, and covered seven other Western states alongside Wyoming.

Voters were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement “Elected officials in Washington, D.C. generally reflect my values.” They responded to a similar question regarding elected officials in Wyoming.

The Wyoming poll also found that more than three-quarters — 76 percent — of state voters would rather conserve water, recycle it or reduce use than divert water from rural to urban areas.

The survey also found 55 percent of Equality-state voters back the state’s conservation plans for greater sage grouse. A minority of 38 percent would see Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke change those plans to allow more oil and gas production and other activities.

Wyoming was the only state in which respondents said they approved of President Trump’s handling of issues related to land, water and wildlife. The 59 percent approval buttressed observations that Wyoming “tends to be a bit of an outlier,” pollster Dave Metz told an audience at the trade show during a live-streamed presentation. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah also were polled in the survey that contacted 3,200 persons overall through cell and landline telephones.

Regarding energy development, 77 percent of Wyoming voters support using updated equipment and technology to reduce methane leaks during natural gas production. A slight margin — 46 percent to 40 percent — favored expanding public land available to private firms to mine uranium and other metals.

Thirty percent ranked wind power as best representing the future of energy in the state. But 30 percent also said coal has the most potential to help Wyoming’s economy.

The poll was conducted in what organizers said was a bipartisan manner by Public Opinion Strategies, representing the GOP, and Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates, representing Democrats. Public Opinion Strategies also conducted the Wyoming Education Association’s school funding poll.

About Angus M. Thuermer Jr.

Angus M. Thuermer Jr. is the natural resources reporter for WyoFile. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years experience in Wyoming. Contact him at [email protected] or (307) 690-5586. Follow Angus on Twitter at @AngusThuermer